Smectite clay/organic chemical/polymer compositions useful as nanocomposites

Abstract

This invention is of a composition comprised of a smectite clay modified with an organic chemical composition and a polymer. The composition consists of an organic chemical/smectite clay intercalate that has been ion-exchanged and reacted and intercalated with one or more quarternary ammonium compounds and an anionic material and further blended into a polymer resin to make a nanocomposite composition. This material can be blended into a wide variety of polymers. This kind of system gives improved dispersion over conventional organoclays, intercalates or hybrid clays described in the literature, especially in non-polar resins. The defined organoclay has been found to be highly dispersible in a variety of polymers, whether polar or non-polar.

What we claim:  
     
       1. A polymer composition comprised of: 
       (I) an organoclay which is the ion-exchanged reaction product of:  
       (a) a smectite clay; and  
       (b) one or more quaternary ammonium compounds in an amount of from about 20% to about 200% of the cation exchange capacity of the smectite clay and  
       (c) one or more anionic organic materials in an amount of 1% to 100% of the cation exchange capacity of the smectite clay and  
       (II) one or more thermoplastic polymers.  
     
     
       2. The composition of  claim 1  wherein the amount of reaction and intercalation product of I(a), (b) and (c) is from 0.1% to 40% of the weight of the one or more polymers. 
     
     
       3. The composition of  claim 1  wherein the ion-exchanged product is obtained by the intercalation and reaction of: 
       a) one or more smectite clays having a cation exchange capacity of at least 50 milliequivalents per 100 grams of clay;  
       b) one or more quaternary ammonium compounds selected from the group consisting of 2M2HT and M3HT and;  
       c) one or more anionic organic materials.  
     
     
       4. The composition of  claim 1  wherein one or more of the quaternary ammonium compound has the formula:                    
       wherein R 1  comprises a group selected from (i) linear or branched aliphatic, aralkyl, or aromatic hydrocarbon groups having from 8 to 30 carbon atoms or (ii) alkyl or alkyl-ester groups having 8 to 30 carbon atoms; R 2 , R 3  and R 4  are independently selected from the group consisting of (a) linear or branched aliphatic, aralkyl and aromatic hydrocarbon, fluorocarbon or other halocarbon groups having from 1 to about 30 carbon atoms; (b) alkoxylated groups containing from 1 to about 80 moles of alkylene oxide; (c) amide groups, (d) oxazolidine groups, (e) allyl, vinyl, or other alkenyl or alkynyl groups possessing reactive unsaturation and (f) hydrogen; and X′ comprises an anion selected from the group consisting of chloride, methyl sulfate, acetate, iodide and bromide. 
     
     
       5. The composition of  claim 1  wherein one or more of the anionic organic materials is selected from the groups consisting of carboxylic acids and organic sulfuric acids. 
     
     
       6. The composition of  claim 1  wherein the one or more thermoplastic polymers are selected from the group consisting of plastics and resins. 
     
     
       7. The composition of  claim 1  wherein one or more of the thermoplastic polymers is selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, copolymers thereof; copolymers of olefins and ethylenevinyl acetate, ethylene acid copolymers, ethylene-vinyl alcohols, ethylene-ethyl acrylates, and ethylene-methyl acrylates.